Comments Off on 1922: The Curious Case of Lilly and Otto, the Dyed-Blue Cats of Midtown Manhattan, Part II

When we left Part I of this curious cat tale of Old New York, young Margaret Owen was just about to dunk her two Angora cats, Lilly and Otto, into a basin of blue dye. The blue cats would look great parading on the boardwalk at Atlantic City.

Every once and a while I come across an old animal story that goes into my special folder called “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.” The following cat tale is somewhat funny, very bizarre, and a bit tragic.

Comments Off on 1896: The St. Bernard and the Great Bear Hunt at Greenridge, Staten Island

In January 1896, the tiny hamlet of Greenridge, Staten Island, was all a buzz over the reported sighting of a large, ferocious black bear. Doors were closed and barred at dusk, and guns and pistols were cleaned and loaded.

On March 25, 1905, Caledonia made her maiden voyage from Glasgow, Scotland, to New York and back. In addition to the passengers and crew, on board was a young black cat that the crew named Duffy MacNab — or The MacNab, for short.

Comments Off on 1899: Strike, the Heroic Eighth Precinct Police Dog of New York City’s Tribeca

For the policemen of Manhattan’s Leonard Street Station, doing strike duty in Brooklyn meant spending a lot of time riding on the trolley cars looking for trouble. It was during this week that they “adopted” a big, brown, shaggy dog who would change their lives for the better. They named him Strike.

Like most cats that became the popular mascots of New York City police stations, fire stations, hotels, and theaters in the 1800s and 1900s, Jim began his life as a vagrant cat without friends or influence. It didn’t take him long, however, to win the hearts of the managers, actors, and patrons of the old Union Square Theatre.

Comments Off on 1915: Sir Tom and Lady Alice, the Rural Police Cat and Hen of Washington Heights, Part II

In June 1912, New York City Police Commissioner Rhinelander Waldo created a new 42nd Precinct to serve the people of the rapidly developing northern tip of Manhattan. In July 1913, the 207 policemen of the 42nd Precinct packed up their gear and moved into the old Guion/Rathbone house on Haven Avenue at West 177th Street.